It's What Partners Do
by Laura Ann Yates
Summary: A small post-Impact piece based on a post by godyoutalkpretty on Tumblr. My opinion on what happens, or what I would like to happen after Kensi says "What?"


**Just a small post-Impact piece. I'm sure there will be loads but I just had to write this after seeing a post by **_godyoutalkpretty_** on Tumblr. Personally, I think they may be a little out of character here but leave a review to let me know what you think.**

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"What?" Confusion. The first thing that came to her. Did he really say that? Does he really love her? Does she love him?

"Love… story…" He breathes his last words, slipping into unconsciousness.

"Love." She whispers, slightly bewildered, before she settles down beside him. Will he mind? Will he care that she stayed the night? Should she leave? So many thoughts prevent her from following her partner into slumber. So she doesn't. She simply sits there, starring, gazing, admiring. Focusing on the wisps of breathe escaping from between his lips. Focusing on the rise and fall of his chest.

Her mind is running a mile a minute. So many thoughts preventing her from getting some much needed rest. Could she survive losing another partner? She went through so much heart break and pain with Dom but with Deeks she knows it would a thousand times worse. Her feelings for him have gone beyond that of a partner. She loves him. She knows that now.

With the soft tones of Bette Davis in the background, the rise and fall of her partner's chest under her hand, and his heartbeat, thumping in her ear, she closes her eyes and allows sleep to claim her body.

Hours later, in the dead of the night, she is woken; the thrashing of the man beneath her almost causing her to fall off of the sofa on which they lay. Groans, moans, and screams of "NO!" jolt her awake, alerting her to the fact that he is hurting, he needs her. Laying a hand on his chest to steady herself, she lowers her lips to his ear and whispers his name "Deeks" in an attempt to rouse him.

With no response, she tries again and again, gaining volume until she sees his eyes shoot open, shock written all over his face. She allows him a moment to catch himself, become aware of his surroundings once more.

"What happened? You ok?" He registers the look on her face, concern and love mixed into one.

"You had a nightmare. You were thrashing around, groaning and shouting 'no'. I thought I should bring you out of it. You good?" There's that word again: good. They've used it so many times over the years they've known each other, and each time it loses its meaning, more and more. What is good? Does it even exist?

"Yeah, I'm good." He smiles, weakly.

"Good." She nods, aware of how awkward this has become. "I should go. It's late and you need your sleep. We both do."

"No. Stay. Please." Is it a good idea? Her mind will not rest. "I know you think it's a bad idea but just then was the first time I have slept properly since this whole ordeal. And that nightmare? Nothing compared to what I had the first few nights."

"Ok. I'll stay." She stands from the sofa, stretching her arms above her head. Deeks' eyes move to the exposed skin of her lower back where her shirt has risen with the rise of her arms.

"Where are you going? I thought you were staying?" Hurt flashes across his face before he sees the smile light her up.

"I am staying, but I think we will be far more comfortable in your bed than on your couch." Banishing all doubts from her mind she makes her way to his room. "You have a shirt or something I can borrow? I prefer not to sleep in jeans."

"Yeah, bottom drawer, take your pick." He comes up behind her, standing in the doorway, still slightly hazy from the insomnia and nightmares. He lingers there, watching as she moves across the room. Watching as she picks out a batman shirt and heads to the en suite to change. Taking his chance while she is in the bathroom, he pads across the room and picks out a pair of sweat pants, changing himself and slipping under the covers, awaiting her return.

The light from the bathroom illuminates the bedroom before she shuts it off and slips under the covers beside him. Her head reconnects itself with his now bare chest, her hand coming to rest over his heart as he drags a hand through her hair. "Night"

Birds tweet and dogs bark as everyone in Deeks' apartment building go about their morning routines. He hears the ocean waves crashing to the shore in the distance and the smell of freshly brewed coffee drifting through his apartment, rousing him for the second time that morning. He sits up in confusion. Who was in his apartment making coffee? A smile spreads across his face as the events from the night before filter into his mind. Kensi showing up on his doorstep with beer, a stale cronut, and food from their favourite take-out. Kensi waking him in the middle of the night to save him from yet another nightmare, before they move to the bedroom. Kensi.

He untangles the sheets from around his legs and follows the smell into his kitchen where he sees her sat on the counter with bare legs and a mug of coffee cradled in her hands, a smile on her face.

"Morning" He grumbles rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning." She returns, jumping down from her improvised seat before she goes about preparing him his own cup of coffee, not seeing him take a sip from her mug while her back is turned.

"Thank you." He whispers, his eyes taking an interest in his feet. "For last night. I probably wouldn't have slept without you there."

She hands him his coffee, her fingers brushing his. "Not a problem. It's what partners do." She tells him before making her way back into his room to get dressed again.

"Yeah, partners."


End file.
